About us
Ulu is the word for boat in the Guna language. More precisely, it is a dugout canoe, carved out of a single tree trunk that takes roughly a month to make in the jungle. When it’s finally done, it takes a few men to roll it on logs to the nearby river, then row it down the river to the sea. At last, on the ocean, they put a mast and a sail on it to voyage from island to island.
ULU has grown out of the original I travel by boat concept to truly capture the essence of where this experience takes place. It has been operating in Gunayala pairing guests with hosts since 2012. It is a family business, founded by Estefania Gamarra, a Bolivian woman who fell in love with the Guna way of life in 2012 while she spent a year living with a local Guna family on Chichime island.
Estefanía and her team have been guiding tourists to these remote lands ever since, with the firm belief that travel can be a force for good, transforming the lives of the visitors and those of the visited when the conditions are right for a just exchange.
They belong to a sailing community that, by nature of the trade, stands for taking control of your life, living closer to the elements, and valuing experience over material goods.
This isn't your traditional yacht charter environment. These boats and captains come from all walks of life and will certainly offer an insight into a different kind of living. Here, sailors welcome you into their homes to have a relaxing, yet transformative experience.
“I do what I do because of the profound effect life in Gunayala has had on me. I’d like for you to have, if not the same experience, at least a similar one. One that leaves you pondering the meaning and purpose of life and considering ways in which you can live a simpler and happier life, having seen what you’ll see and experienced what you’ll live in this gem of a place. Too lofty a goal? Perhaps… But you’ll have to see for yourself to find out.”
Stef
What does it mean to be sustainable?
For us, sustainability means having the most positive impact on the social environment while having the least negative impact on the natural environment.
We aim to work with boats that:
- Live in San Blas because they have fallen in love with the Guna people and culture, and can't wait to introduce their guests to these amazing hosts
- Use their sails as much as possible when traveling between islands
- Use solar energy for lights and charging electronics
- Serve the most fresh food possible and the least packaged food possible
- Use biodegradable cleaning products
Therefore...
We aim to host clients that:
- Have an open mind, open heart and open will to have an authentic exchange with our Guna hosts
- Are happy to travel shorter distances when there's no wind
- Do not require Air Conditioning, as AC can only be had with a fuel-burning engine
- Are happy to have whatever fresh food is available, this means if there's no seafood, vegetarian meals are served
- Are happy to take back to the city any non-biodegradable trash produced during their stay to avoid leaving it in San Blas where there's no trash pick-up system whatsoever
- Use coral-safe sunscreen
See now how this is a team effort? Let's be proudly sustainable together, so the Guna feel good about hosting us for years to come and for their land to stay paradisiac forever!
And, this only works if all parties are commited, so please let us know if your experience was not as sustainable as it could have been.
We've partnered with the Green Sail, an organization that promotes environmentally conscious practices for the development of sustainable tourism.
Check out our Environmental Policy here!
